Stella wasn't the type to mope for long. She quickly bounced back, her spirit reignited with determination to grow stronger and catch up to Charles.
And what else could Charles do but support his girlfriend? Of course, he had no intention of waiting for her to catch up—doing that would only make Stella feel worse.
She had been curious about the Dungeon for a while, but before diving in, they had some preparations to make.
Even though Stella's status board was a clean slate, her personal abilities were easily on par with a Level 7 adventurer. Honestly, even Ottar—currently the strongest in Orario—might not be able to beat her.
That meant earning experience and great deeds would be a serious challenge. Charles figured he might need to use the same suppression methods he'd used for himself to make any progress.
Even so, leveling up would take work. A full-blown expedition might be necessary to push her to the required limits.
So before setting off, they needed to stock up on supplies. Both of them had Inherent Devices, so equipment wasn't an issue.
But consumables like food, water, and potions had to be well prepared. Luckily, Charles had a storage ring—otherwise, just carrying Stella's share of food would've been a hassle.
Next, they headed to the Guild to register Stella and do some serious shopping.
They bid farewell to Hephaestus, and as soon as they stepped out of her room, they ran into Haruhime, diligently sweeping the hallway.
Haruhime had made a strong impression during the recent mission to subjugate the corrupted spirits. Thanks to her support magic, Bell had been able to achieve Level Boost and defeat the final corrupted spirit.
Even though she was now well-known among adventurers, Haruhime still preferred serving as a maid for the Hephaestus Familia.
The moment she saw Charles, her eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over. "Lord Charles, you're back!"
Stella's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Those sparkling eyes, that blush, that bashful look—this girl's reaction was way too suspicious.
Charles patted Haruhime on the head, causing the fluffy tail behind her to stiffen slightly.
"Long time no see. How've you been lately?"
Haruhime looked down shyly, momentarily unable to respond.
Stella stepped forward and grabbed Charles' hand. "Charles, aren't you going to introduce me to this young lady?"
Charles quickly said, "This is Haruhime, a junior I introduced to the Familia."
Haruhime hurriedly added, "Lord Charles is also my savior. He's my… hero!"
Yup, definitely suspicious! Stella's brow twitched—her instincts were screaming at her.
Charles smiled and said, "And this is Stella, who just joined the Familia today. She's my girlfriend."
Stella immediately squeezed Charles' hand even tighter, as if claiming her territory.
Haruhime's ears perked up, and she looked at Stella seriously.
"Even so, I'm not going to give up that easily!"
Charles blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
But Stella understood instantly and replied, "Then bring it on!"
A spark of lightning crackled between them, their gazes practically clashing like blades.
Charles had no idea why Haruhime, usually so reserved, was suddenly being so aggressive—or why two girls who just met were already about to duel with their eyes.
All he could do was drag Stella away from the mansion and head toward the Guild.
Stella sighed, looking at Charles. Her boyfriend really was hopelessly dense in some areas. Still, at least she didn't have to worry about him becoming a womanizer.
After leaving the mansion, Stella's mood quickly brightened again, drawn in by all the new sights.
Especially after leaving the industrial district and entering the more bustling city center, she was dazzled by the variety of people and shops.
Charles slowed his pace to match hers, and before long they arrived at the Guild.
The registration process went quickly—efficient as always, helped along by the Hephaestus Familia's strong reputation.
After that, they began shopping. Tents and cookware were already taken care of, and water could be sourced inside the Dungeon.
So the focus was on food and potions. Their shopping method was simple: Stella pointed, Charles paid, and everything went into his storage ring.
Stella happily munched on a crepe in one hand and a fried potato ball in the other, grinning as Charles gently wiped some whipped cream off the corner of her mouth.
She gave him a sweet smile, then popped another snack into her mouth.
After finishing, she tugged on his sleeve and said, "Charles, I think people are looking at us strangely. Are you… famous here or something?"
Charles had also noticed some curious gazes and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Around here, I'm known as the 'Dragon Forge.' It's a bit of a reputation."
Stella grabbed his hand and said, "Then I'd better work hard too! Though… 'Dragon Forge' sounds kind of weird."
Charles laughed. "I think it's fine. Considering the way gods hand out titles, the fact that Hephaestus managed to give me something that normal is a miracle in itself."
Stella made a face. "But what if I get a really weird title?"
"Don't worry," Charles reassured her. "I'm sure Lady Hephaestus will fight to get you something that suits you."
As they were talking, a clear voice called out.
"Oh! Charles!"
Turning, they saw Syr and Ryuu, each carrying shopping bags.
Stella, who understood Charles better than anyone and was always paying attention to him, immediately sensed something off.
It was just for a split second, but Charles had tensed up—definitely not because he was startled. That kind of reaction only meant one thing: the people who had just appeared were special.
But Stella couldn't figure out what was so remarkable about the two beautiful girls. Why had Charles reacted that way?
Soon, though, she had other things to think about.
The gray-haired girl wore a mischievous expression as she pulled along the tall, long-eared girl who looked like she wanted nothing more than to run the other way.
Since coming to this world, Stella had already seen her fair share of Elves. But she had to admit—this particular Elf girl was stunning.
The problem wasn't just that. Despite her reluctant expression, the Elf's feet kept moving steadily toward Charles.
That bashful look, those rosy cheeks—Stella had seen this kind of thing before.
Charles greeted them. "It's you two! Long time no see. Stella, let me introduce you. These are Syr and Ryuu. They're waitresses at the Hostess of Fertility—and they're friends of mine. It's a fantastic place. We should go there for dinner tonight."
"Friends, huh?"
Stella's voice was laced with something unreadable. With juniors and "friends" like these… did her boyfriend have too many romantic prospects in this world?
(End of Chapter)
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